The French language is very sneaky. Every day, through the writing of our tops, we ourselves have to consult Google (yes yes, I say “Google” and then? what are you going to do?) to check the spelling of a word. It is clear that even after the thousandth time, we still do not print the correct spelling of a word, stupid people that we are. So here are the most common queries and the definitive answer to never doubt again.
1. Among or among?
The right answer to know once and for all: Among. Put away that “s” that I can’t see.
2. Their or theirs?
The right answer to know once and for all: IT DEPENDS bunch of sweet potatoes. When used as a possessive adjective in the plural “their” can take an “s”, as in the sentence: “I love Gilbert and Jacqueline’s beams but I have to accept that they are theirs”.
When used as a personal pronoun it NEVER takes “s”, for example: “I still ask them if there’s no way to get these beams”.
The advice in +: if you ask yourself the question, when you can replace “their” by “him” it is that it is a personal pronoun and therefore that you do not need “s”.
3. One or one afternoon?
The right answer to know once and for all: an afternoon.
The advice in +: but guys, we don’t say “one after”, we don’t say “one noon” so why do you want to stick me “one afternoon”?
4. Stroll or ballad?
The right answer to know once and for all: it’s simple, the ballad is for walking, the ballad is for poetry (logical since there are two “l”s as in “alliterations”).
5. Welcome or welcome?
The right answer to know once and for all: Welcome. In all circumstances.
6. I will like or I would like?
The right answer to know once and for all: if you want to talk about the future tense and say that in 30 years you will like door handles, you can say “I would like to”, if on the other hand you want to talk about a conditional desire and say that you would like to be a door handle, you say “I would like to”. It is clearer ?
7. Sensible or sensible?
The right answer to know once and for all: the difference is subtle, I grant you, but basically remember that “supposed” is a synonym of “supposed” (it is almost always followed by an infinitive) while we will use the adjective “sensé” to say about someone one that it is “full of common sense” (it is not followed by an infinitive).
8. These or his?
The right answer to know once and for all: ask yourself this question, do you want to show something “These big beams” for example ? Or do you mean something that belongs to someone: “His big beams to Bernard” for example ?
9. I did or did I?
The right answer to know once and for all: I did. So. I don’t know how else to tell you.
10. Spot or stain?
The right answer to know once and for all: tell yourself that a task without an accent is a task without a task whereas a task with an accent is a task with something to do. Did I enlighten your lantern?
11. All or all?
The right answer to know once and for all: in front of a masculine plural we always put “all”. If it’s an adverb it’s “everything” (“I am moved by the beauty of this beam”) and it is invariable. If it is a pronoun or an adjective it is given in number and gender “beams are all my friends”.
12. Connection or connection?
The right answer to know once and for all: Login. Bother me more with this question.
13. More or more?
The right answer to know once and for all: Any further. Quite simply because it doesn’t have the same meaning as “more” at all.
14. See or see?
The right answer to know once and for all: On the one hand we have the verb “to see” that you know well, and on the other we have the expression “to see” which makes it possible to increase information as in the sentence “I have insolating, even aggressive beams in my living room”.
A tip in +: stop saying “even even” it is a redundant and repetitive pleonasm.
15. By or by?
The right answer to know once and for all: By. Still. Why ? Because we never use the expression “on both sides” other than in its complete version “on both sides”.
16. I will have or I will have?
The right answer to know once and for all: see the explanation in point 6, too lazy to repeat.
17. Gold or out?
The right answer to know once and for all: “Or” is a coordinating conjunction (but if you know “but, where, and, therefore, or, nor, because”). If in doubt, try replacing the word with “and”. If that doesn’t work (and you’re not talking about gold as a precious metal) you probably want to write “outside” to mean the contraction of “outside of”.
18. One or one schedule?
The right answer to know once and for all: A schedule. What else?
19. Attention or intention?
The right answer to know once and for all: we write “to the attention” of someone whose attention we are trying to capture. “To the intention” is not so far removed but rather refers to something done in honor of someone.
20. Bring or take?
The right answer to know once and for all: again, it’s not easy! tell yourself that we “bring” a person to another person and we “bring” a person with us from one place to another.
The advice in +: “to bring” and “to take” are verbs used only for people, for objects we will rather say “to bring” or “to take away” if it can clarify your use.
21. So much for me or time for me?
The right answer to know once and for all: good news the two expressions co-exist in the language so don’t be taken back when you have the audacity to use the first.
22. This is where it is?
The right answer to know once and for all: the first is a demonstrative one can always break it down into “that is” while “s’est” is a personal pronoun, if we change the subject of the sentence we can replace it with “je suis” for example.
23. Entrain or en train?
The right answer to know once and for all: we speak with enthusiasm when we are enthusiastic about a subject. But we can also be talking cheerfully to say that we are in the mood to do so. We can also say that we are talking with enthusiasm in the train but you start to mess with me.
24. Stage or stage?
The right answer to know once and for all: the landing is a step between two floors (this is why it has only one “l”) while pallier is a verb.
The advice in +: we have the bad habit of adding an “to” after palliating, but it is totally useless. Don’t do it anymore. Or you will go to jail.
25. Worry or worries?
The right answer to know once and for all: in the singular “concern” is always written “concern”, even if we often want to put an “s” to it because it rarely happens alone.
26. Certainly or certainly?
The right answer to know once and for all: Certainly.
27. Attached or Enclosed?
The right answer to know once and for all: It all depends on where in the sentence. At the head of the sentence, the form will remain invariable. On the other hand you can write “In this email you will find the attached beams”. But no one ever writes those kinds of sentences. On the other hand do not confuse it with “six joints” which refers to an illegal drug gang of sick people.
28. Include or include?
The right answer to know once and for all: we NEVER write included (contrary to “excluded”, which explains the confusion).
29. Author or author?
The right answer to know once and for all: both my general, thank you very much the evolutions of the French language as evidenced by the face of Annie Ernaux (who looks a little bit like Michel Houellebecq).
30. Certain or some?
The right answer to know once and for all: when we can replace “certain” by “a few, several, such and such” it is that we can grant it in the plural.
31. Expensive or dear?
The right answer to know once and for all: dear is just the female version of dear.
32. Diagnosis or diagnosis?
The right answer to know once and for all: the first is a common noun, the second is the conjugation of the verb to diagnose. What could be simpler ?
33. By itself or by itself?
The right answer to know once and for all: In itself. Still. STILL.
34. Tiring or tiring?
The right answer to know once and for all: Tiring. Besides, it tires me to repeat it. but hey, if you absolutely want it to be one of the words whose spelling should be changed, contact the French Academy.
The advice in +: in French the “g” followed by the “a” always forms the sound “ga” and not “ja” (otherwise we would write “gea”). So there is no need to add a “u” after the “g”.
